Pork Vindaloo
Vindaloo comes from Goa on India’s west coast, where Portuguese colonists left their mark on the cuisine. The name is a corruption of the Portuguese carne de vinha d’alhos — meat in wine and garlic — and the vinegar is still what carries the dish. It acts both as a marinade and as the acid that cuts through the fat in the pork.
Pork is the traditional choice in Goa. The meat is marinated overnight in a mixture of vinegar, chilli, garlic, ginger and toasted spices, then simmered slowly until tender. The result is a curry with burning heat and a clear sour note — more direct and more acidic than North Indian curries.
Serve with boiled rice. A spoonful of yoghurt or raita on the side tames the heat if the chilli level is dialled up.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1–2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
- 2 tsp mustard seeds, ground
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
- 1 piece fresh ginger, 3.5 cm, finely chopped
- 150 ml wine vinegar
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 750 g pork, cut into cubes
- 4 tbsp oil
- salt, to taste
Directions
Mix the chilli powder, turmeric, ground cumin, ground mustard seeds, ground coriander and a good pinch of salt together with the wine vinegar in a bowl large enough to hold all the meat.
Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and ginger. Stir through.
Turn the pork cubes in the marinade so each piece is coated. Cover the bowl with a lid or film and refrigerate overnight.
The next day: heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Pour the meat and all the marinade into the pot. Stir so the spices are evenly distributed.
Reduce the heat until the dish barely simmers. Put the lid on.
Leave to simmer gently for about 45 minutes. Stir a couple of times during cooking so nothing catches on the bottom. The meat should be tender and pull apart easily with a spoon.
Season with salt. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last 5–10 minutes and reduce it a little.
Serve with boiled rice.
Notes
Active time about 10 minutes plus overnight marinating. The cooking itself takes just under an hour.
The amount of chilli controls how fiery the dish gets. 1 tsp gives a noticeable but manageable heat; 2 tsp gives a proper vindaloo burn. Start low if you are unsure — you can always add more chilli powder towards the end of cooking.
Pork shoulder or pork neck work well. They have some fat marbling that makes the meat tender and juicy from the long simmering. Lean cuts like tenderloin dry out.
Wine vinegar is the classic choice — red or white. Apple cider vinegar also works. Do not swap it for lemon or balsamic; the acidity is built into the character of the dish.
The dish tastes even better the next day. Will keep for 2–3 days in the fridge and reheats well.
See Also
Vinha d'Alhos
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Green Chutney
